Apparatus for applying flock



Jan. 29, 1935. w THOMPSON 1,989,631

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLOCK' Filed June 8, 195-5 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 29, 1935.

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' M4 awe 777129 Jan. 29, 1935. w. B. THOMPSON APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLOCK Filed June 8, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 5 mum..."mum-mm" M. by atmr'zzg Patented Jan. 29, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLOCK Application June 8, 1933, Serial No. 674,889

Claims.

The present invention relates-to the art of coating and more particularly to apparatus for pply ng flock, which term is used herein to designate comminuted material, such as cotton, wool, silk, rayon and the dust of vegetable fibers.

In one commercially successful flock applyin apparatus the flock is stored in a container which is detachable from the apparatus and is movable therewith as the operative swings it over the adhesively coated work to apply the flock thereto. Because the operative carries the apparatus in his hand during the flock applying operation the size of the container is definitely limited and in consequence it is necessary to detach the container frequently in order to replenish it with flock. In this commercially successful type of flock applying apparatus the nozzle through which the flock is discharged upon the work is located above the container and the flock is delivered to the nozzle and is discharged therefrom by the entraining action of air introduced into the container under pressure and allowed to escape therefrom to and out of the nozzle. The air introduced into the container imparts a whirling motion to the fiock and separates particles therefrom which float in the air and move therewith. This mode of operation is highly desirable in handling fiock'which has an inherent tendency to felter, but no way has been found heretofore to employ this desirable mode of operation in an apparatus provided with a stationary tank capable of holding a large quantity 'of flock.

The principal object of the present invention is to produce an apparatus in which a large quan tity of flock maybe stored and by which the flock may be applied in a rapid, reliable and economical manner. a

To the accomplishment of this object, and such others as may appear hereinafter, the features of the present invention relate to certain devices,

combinations and arrangements of parts herein-- after described and then set forth in the appended claims.

The various features of the present invention will be understood readily from an inspection of the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a view in plan;

Fig. 2 is a detail-view in sectional elevation of the nozzle;

Fig. 3 is a detail view in sectional elevation of the flock concentrating chamber, on the line 3-3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view in sectional elevation on the line 44, Fi 1;

Fig. 5 is a view in sectional plan on the line 5-5, Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view in sectional elevation on the line 66, Fig. 1, and

Fig. '7 is a detail view in sectional elevation on 5 the line 7-7, Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus or 'tool for applying flock, is preferably provided with a metallic tank or chamber 8 (Figs. 4, 5 and 6) comprising a container for a large amount 10 of flock. After the tank 8 is partially filled with flock its open top is covered by a cover 9. The interior of the cover 9 is provided with a gasket 10 to engage the circular top edge of the tank 8 and form an air tight joint. The cover 9 is provided with a series of slotted lugs 11 (Fig. 1) each of which receives the shank of a bolt 12 which is pivoted between a pair of small plates 13 (Fig. 6) supported by the exterior surface of the tank 8. The free end of the bolt 12 is screwthreaded and receives a wing-nut 14 adapted to engage the lugs 11. I

In order to introduce a motive agent, such as compressed air, into the flock tank 8, the apparatus is provided with a main airline 15 (Figs. 1 and 4) which is connected to some suitable source of supply through a pressure reducing valve 16. The main air line is provided with a T 17 (Fig. 4) one outlet of which is coupled to one end of a branch air line 18 passing through an internally threaded boss 19 formed in the cover 9.

Within the tank 8 the branch air line 18 is provided with a T 20, the bottom outlet of which receives a nozzle 21 having a discharge orifice 22 directed vertically downward. The other outlet of the T 20 receives one end of a horizontal pipe 23 the other end of which fits into a cross 24 (Fig. 5). One outlet of the cross 24 receives one end of a horizontal pipe 25 the other end of which is provided with an elbow 26 which receives a nozzle 27 provided with a discharge orifice 28 (Fig. 6) directed downwardly and laterally on an angle of degrees. The bottom outlet of the cross 24 receives one end of a vertical pipe 33 45 (Fig. 4) connected to a horizontal pipe 34 through an elbow 35. The free end of the pipe 34 is provided with an elbow 36 which receives a nozzle 37 having a discharge orifice 38 directed downwardly and laterally on an angle of 45 degrees. The remaining outlet of the cross 24 is sealed by a plug 39.

With this construction the air discharged into the flock through the orifices 22, 28 and 38 causes it to swir1=in a clockwise direction, (Fig. 5), in

the tank 8. As the flock swirls some of it is separated from the mass of flock into particles which commingle with the air. This flock, commingled with the air, rises and is caused by the entraining action of the air toenter a lateral passage 40 (Fig. 4) formed between the bottom of the cover 9 and a casting 41.

The casting 41 is provided with a flat floor 42 (Fig. 5) having a vertical, external peripheral wall 43 projecting upward into engagement with the bottom of the cover 9 and extending substantially concentric to the internal wall of the tank 8 from the inlet 44 of the passage 40 to a lateral outlet 45 therefrom. Adjacent the outlet 45 the wall 48 terminates in a. reverse curve 46 forming a flock concentrating chamber 4'7 in which the flock laden air swirls in a clockwise direction (Fig. 5). By swirling the flock in the tank 8 in a clockwise direction, (Fig. 5), and by forming the wall 43 concentric to the internal wall of the tank 8, advantage is taken of the centrifugal action to cause the major part of the particles of flock entrained in the air to engage and travel along the wall 48 and thus be directed into the flock concentrating chamber 4'7. The reversely curved wall 46 causes the flock laden air to swirl in the chamber 4'7 to maintain the flock delivered thereto in a stirred-up and floating condition.

Directly over the flock concentrating chamber 4'7 (Fig. 3) the cover 9 is provided with an internally threaded, perforated boss 48 (Fig. 3) which receives one end of a nipple 49 the other end of which is threaded into a dome 50 to which one end of a flexible conduit 51 is coupled. The

other end of the flexible conduit 51 (Fig. 2) is coupled to a nozzle head 52 provided with a mixing chamber 53, and a lateral passage 54 forming the outlet from the chamber 53 into a nozzle 55, secured to the nozzle head 52, and provided with a frusto-conical passage 56 terminating in a round discharge orifice 5'7. The flock laden air flows out of the chamber 47 into the conduit 51 and is discharged from the nozzle 55. The purpose of the dome 50 is to reduce gradually the size of the flock laden air stream as it flows from the nipple 40 into the flexible conduit 51.

In order to intensify the density of the flock laden air discharged from the nozzle 55, without materially increasing the air content of the discharge, the flock, which does not enter the chamber 4'7, is filteredout of the entraining air, the

filtered air is allowed to escape from the tank 8 into the atmosphere and the flock filtered from the air is commlngled with the flock laden air in the flock concentrating chamber 47.

To this end, the floor 42 (Fig. 5) is provided with a vertical, internal peripheral wall 58 having the same height as the wall 43 and spaced therefrom to form the side wall of the passage 40 for a portion of its extent. One end of the wall 58 terminates at the outlet 45. The other end of the wall 58 terminates at a point spaced-from the end of the wall 46. For the major portion of its length the wall 58 is concentric to the wall 48 but is provided with a straight portion 580 which is directed at the juncture between the walls 43 and 46. The wall 58, the portion of the floor 42 enclosed thereby, and the cover 9, form a filter chamber 59. The casting 41 is bolted to the bottom of the cover 9 by three bolts 69, two of which pass through the wall 43 and the third one of which passes through the wall 58.

Directly over the filter chamber 59 the cover 9 is provided with a cylindrical opening 61 (Fig. 4)

which is covered by a cap 62. The bottom of the cap 62 is provided with three lugs 63 which rest on the top of the cover 9 and are secured thereto. The lugs 63 are spaced apart to form a plurality of lateral passages 64 to allow air which is vented from the tank 8 through the opening 61 to pass therethrough. The flock is filtered out of the air escaping from the tank 8 through the opening 61 by a screen 65 supported from a frame 66 interposed between the screen and the heads of screws 6'7 which secure the frame and the screen to the bottom of the cover 9. With this construction that portion of the flock laden air which enters the passage 40 from the tank 8 and which does not enter the flock concentrating chamber 47 and does not pass back into the tank 8 through the outlet 45 of the passage 40, enters the filter chamber 59 wherein the flock is filtered out of the entraining air seeking to escape from the tank 8 through the vent 61 either by falling out of the air stream or by the screen 65. In any event the flock laden air entering the filter chamber 59 is vented out of the tank 8 leaving the flock behind in the filter chamber. An important additional function of the vent 61 is to insure that the pressure within the tank will be very low in order that the air introduced into the tank instead of pressure.

As so far described the air introduced into the flock through the orifices 22,28 and 38 stirs up and swirls the flock in the tank 8 in a clockwise direction, (Fig. 5), separates floating particles therefrom and then, under velocity, carries the floating particles in a dense cloud into the lateral passage 40. Some of these particles collected in the passage 40 are discharged from the nozzle 55 by the entraining action of the air during its escape from the tank 8 by way of the chamber 4'7. Some of the particles collected in the passage 40, instead of passing out of the tank 8 to the nozzle 55, are carried by the entraining air into the filter chamber 59. These last named particles are removed from the air by the screen 65 and eitheraccumulate upon the screen or fall upon the floor of the filter chamber. Still others of the particles of flock collected in the passage 40 are carried by the entraining air through the outlet 45 back into the tank 8.

In order to stir up thefiock collected on the floor of the passage 40 and send the stirred-up flock into the air stream flowing therethrough.

thereby to intensify the density' of the flock laden air seeking an outlet from the tank 8 and to prevent the flock from accumulating and plugging the passage 40, the main air line 15 is provided with a cross 68 (Figs. 1 and 6) to one outlet of which a branch air line 69 is connected. The branch 69 passes through an internally threaded, perforated boss '70 on the cover 9 into the tank 8 where the branch 69 is provided with an "elbow '71 (Figs. 6 and '7) which receives a nozzle '72 having an orifice '73 discharging directly into the passage 40. With this construction the floor of the passage 40 and the jet of air discharged by the orifice '73 into the inlet 44 of the passage 40 not only constitute an intensifier for intensifying the flock laden air flowing from the tank 8 through the passage 40, but act to prevent it from becoming choked by an accumulation of flock.

In order to prevent the flock collected on the screen or the floor of the filter chamber 59 from accumulating sufiiciently to choke the vent 61, to stir the flock up in the filter chamber 59, whirl the stirred-up flock into the flock concentrating chamber 47, and thereby intensify the density of the flock laden air escaping from the chamber 47 to the nozzle 55, another outlet of the cross 68 (Fig. 1) is connected to a branch air line 74 which passes into the tank 8 through an internally threaded, perforated boss 75 (Figs. 4 and 6). Within the tank 8 the branch 74 is provided with an elbow 76 which receives a nozzle 77 located in the filter chamber 59 adjacent the junction between the outlet 45 and the vertical wall 58, and provided with an orifice 78 (Fig. With this construction the jet of air discharged into the screen chamber 59 through the orifice 78, stirs up the flock in the chamber, whirls the flock therein in a clockwise direction (Fig. 5), separates floating particles from the whirling flock, and carries the floating flock by the entraining and centrifugal actions of the air discharged from the orifice 78 along the wall 58 from the.

straight portion 580 of which the flock laden air flows towards the flock concentrating chamber 47. Some of the flock discharged from the filter chamber 59 passes back into the tank 8 through the outlet 45, but most of it is carried into the flock concentrating chamber 47 in which it is whirled and from which it is discharged to the nozzle 55. The filterchamber and the jet of air discharged from the orifice 78 not only constitute an intensifier for intensifying the flock laden air passing out of the chamber 47 to the nozzle 55 but act to prevent the vent outlet 61 from becoming choked by an accumulation of flock in the filter chamber 59.

From an inspection of Fig. 5 it is apparent that at least some of the flock in its travel from the tank 8 to the nozzle 55 by way of the chamber 47 is subjected to three distinct whirls, the whirl in the tank 8 being the greatest in extent, the whirl in the chamber 47 being the least in extent, and the whirl in the filter chamber 59 being intermediate in extent and that the apparatus is designed to take advantage of the centrifugal action developed during each whirl. The air which flows to the nozzle by way of the chamber 47 is delivered from the orifices 22, 28, 38, 73 and 78. The air from the orifices 22, 28 and 38 becomes laden with flock in the tank 8. The air from the orifice 73 becomes laden with flock in the passage 40. The air from the orifice 78 becomes laden with flock in the filter chamber 59. All the flock laden air from the three difierent sources which pass into the chamber 47 unites therein to produce a discharge of concentrated flock from the nozzle '55.

Under some conditions of operation it may be desirable to thin the volume of flock discharged from the nozzle 55 by an auxiliary blast of air. To this end the nozzle head 52 is provided with a passage 79 (Fig. 2) through which air under pressure is discharged into the chamber 53 from a nipple 80 threaded into the head 62 adjacent the passage 79. The nipple 80 is coupled to oneend of an air passage (not shown) formed in a gun body 81, (Fig.1). The gun body 81 is shaped to fit in the palm of an operatives hand and. is provided with a valve operating button 82 which controls the passage of air through the gun body. The other end of the air passage in the gun body 81 is coupled to one end of a flexible conduit 83 the other end of which is fittedinto a T 84 (Figs. 1 and 4) on the main air line 15. The pressure of theair passing through the passage 79 may be varied, within the limit determined by the pressure reducing valve 16, by a valve 85. Referring to Fig. 2, the passage 79 is made smaller than the passages 54 and 56 in order that when the auxiliary air jet is used it will not create a condition of pressure in the chamber 53 operating to retard the flow of the flock laden air out of the conduit 51.

The flock used in coating the work varies widely in kind, quality, fineness and length of fibre. In order to vary the pressure of the air introduced into the tank, the passage 40 and the filter chamber 59 as may be desired to meet the different operating conditions and to obtain the desired volume of flock with the particular type thereof being handled, the three branch air lines 18, 69 and 74 are provided with control valves. The air flowing through the branch 18 is controlled by a'valve 86, (Figs. 1 and 4). The pressure in the air delivered to the branch 18 through the valve 86 is registered on a gage 87 connected to the top outlet in the T 17. The air flowing through the branch 69 is controlled by a valve 88 (Figs. 1 and 6). The pressure in the branch 69 is registered on a gage 89 fitted into a T 90. The air flowing through the branch 74 is controlled and its pressure is registered by a valve 91 and a gage 92, respectively.

To operate the apparatus the tank 8 is filled to within not less than six inches from its top with clean. dry flock, and the cover 9 secured in place. With the valve 86 closed and the valves 88 and 91 opened, a main air valve '94 (Fig. 1) is opened toadmit air under the pressure determined by the pressure reducing valve 16 into the apparatus from the main air line 15. The-valves 88 and 91 are adjusted toobtain differential pressures in the branches 69 and 74, respectively, inaccordance with the kind of flock with which the tank 8 is filled. Assuming that the main air line pressure is-over sixty pounds per square inch, for instance, the pressure of the air introduced into the tank through the branch 69 should be varied from fifteen to forty-five pounds per square inch and the pressure of air introduced into the tank through the branch 74 should be varied from five to forty-five pounds per square inch depending upon the type of flock in the tank. Then the valve 86 which controls the volume of the flock laden air discharged is opened gradually until a pressure substantially less than five pounds per square inch is indicated on the gage 87 whereupon the flock is discharged from the nozzle, 55 in a turbid condition. As the tank empties, the valves 86, 88 and 91 may be re-adjusted to'maintain the desired character of flock discharge;

To apply the flock, the work is coated with a suitable adhesive. The handle 81 of the apparatus is engaged in the palm of the operatives hand with the index finger thereof disengaged from the valve operating button 82. By manipulating the gun body 81 the flock flowing out of the nozzle 55 is applied to the surface of the coated work, care being taken to drive the flock into the adhesive of the previously coated work. In order" to prevent the formation of flock mounds on the work the operative, after each flock applying operation, directs the flock slantwise at the work with the result that the excess flock is blown therefrom and subsequently recovered for re-use. Usually it is necessary to apply successive coats of flock to the adhesively coated work in order to obtain an even surface having a velvety or clothlike appearance. Should lumps appear in the discharged flock the valve operating button 82 may be depressed to allow air .to be'discharged through the passage '79 into the mixing chamber 53 and thus break up the lumps of flock passing therethrough.

In order to prevent the accumulation of statical electricity the opposite ends of a wire 95 are connected to the nozzle head 62 and the nipple 59, (Fig. 1), respectively.

Nothing herein explained is to be interpreted as limiting the various features of the present invention in the scope of its application to use in connection with the particular apparatus or the particular mode of operation or both selected for purposes of illustration and explanation. While the particulars of construction herein set forth are well suited to one mechanical form of the invention and to the use to which it is put, it

is not limited to this use, nor to these details of construction, nor to the conjoint use of all its features, nor is it to be understood that these particulars are essential since they may be modified within the skill of the artisan without departing from the true scope of the actual invention, characterizing features of which are set forth in the following claims by the intentional use of generic terms and expressions inclusive of various modifications.

What is claimed as new, is:

1. An apparatus for applying fiock having, in combination, a nozzle, a tank for the flock, an outlet from the tank in communication with the nozzle, a flock concentrating chamber associated with the outlet, a passage above the normal level of the flock communicating .with the tank and the flock concentrating chamber and provided with a wall, and means for introducing air under pressure into the tank in a direction to whirl the flock therein and discharge the whirling flock into the passage and against the wall by the entraining and centrifugal actions of the air escaping from the tank into the passage.

2. An apparatus for applying flock having, in combination, a nozzle, a tank for the fiock, an outlet from the tank in communication with the nozzle, a fiock concentrating chamber associated with the outlet, a passage communicating with the tank and the flock concentrating chamber and having a vertical, curved wall extending, from the entrance to the passage from the tank, to the flock concentrating chamber, and means for introducing air under pressure into the tank to whirl the flock therein and discharge the whirling flock into the passage and along the wall to the concentrating chamber by the entraining and centrifugal actions of the air escaping from the tank into and along the passage.

3. An apparatus for applying flock having, in combination, a nozzle, a tank for the flock, an

outlet from the tank in communication with the nozzle, a flock concentrating chamber associated with the outlet,a passage communicating with the tank and the flock concentrating chamber and having a vertical, curved wall extending, from the entrance to the passage from the tank, to the flock concentrating chamber, said wall terminating in a reversely curved portion partially enclosing the flock concentrating chamber, and means for introducing air under pressure into the tank to whirl the flock therein and discharge the whirling flock into the passage and along the wall throughout its length by the entraining and centrifugal actions of the air escaping from the tank into and along the passage.

4. An apparatus for applying fiock having, in combination, a nozzle, a tank for the flock, an outlet from the tank in communication with the nozzle, a passage communicating with the tank, said passage having a curved wall one end of which partially surrounds the outlet, and means for introducing air under pressure into the tank to whirl the flock therein and discharge the whirling flock into the passage against the wall and along the wall into the outlet by the entraining and centrifugal actions of the air escaping from the tank through the outlet by way of the passage.

5. 'An apparatus for applying fiock having, in combination, a nozzle, a tank for the flock, an outlet from the tank in communication with the nozzle, a'fiock concentrating chamber associated,

with the outlet, a passage above the normal level of the flock communicating with the tank and the flock concentrating chamber, means for introducing air under pressure into the tank in a direction to disperse the flock therein and discharge the dispersed flock into the passage by the entraining action of the air escaping from the tank into the passage, and means for preventing the accumulation of flock in the passage.

6. An apparatus for applying fiock having, in combination, a nozzle, a tank for the flock, an outlet from the tank in communication with the nozzle, a vent for the tank, a filter chamber associated with the vent, a flock concentrating chamber associated with the outlet, a passage communicating with the tank, the filter chamber and the flock concentrating chamber, means'for introducing air under pressure into the tank to dispersethe flock therein and discharge the dispersed flock into the passage by the entraining action of the air escaping from the tank into the passage, and means for preventing the accumulation of flock in the filter chamber.

. 7. An apparatus for applying fiock having, in combination, a nozzle, a tank for the flock, an outlet from the tank in communication with the nozzle, a vent for the tank, a filter chamber associated with the vent, a flock concentrating chamber associated with the outlet, a passage communicating with the tank, the filter chamber and the flock concentrating chamber, means for introducing air under pressure into the tank to disperse the fiock therein and, discharge the dispersed flock into the passage by the entraining action of the air escaping from the tank into the passage, means for preventing the accumulation of flock in the passage, and means for preventing the accumulation of flock in the filter chamber.

8. An apparatus for applying flock having, in combination, a nozzle, a tank for the fiock, an outlet from the tank in communication with the nozzle, a vent forthe tank, a filter chamber associated with the vent, a flock concentrating chamber associated with the outlet, a passage communicating with the tank, the filter chamber and the flock concentrating chamber, means for introducing air, under pressure into the tankto disperse the flock therein and discharge the dispersed fiock into the passage by the entraining action of the air escaping from the tank by way of the vent and the outlet, separate means for introducing air into the passage, and separate means for introducing air into the filter chamber.

9. An apparatus for applying flock having, in combination, a. nozzle, a tankfor the flock, an outlet from the tank in communication with the nozzle, a vent for the tank, a filter chamber associated with the vent, a flock concentrating chamber associated with the outlet, a passage communicating with the tank, the filter chamber and the flock concentrating chamber, means for introducing air under pressure into the tank to disperse the flock therein and discharge the dispersed flock into the passage by the entraining action of the air escaping from the tank by way of the ventand the outlet, separate means for introducing air into the passage, separate means for introducing air into the filter chamber; and means for correlating the pressures of the air introduced into the tank, the passage and the filter chamber. 7

10. An apparatus for applying flock having, in combination, a nozzle, a tank for the flock, said tank having a cover, an outlet from the tank in communication with the nozzle, a casting secured to the bottom 01 the cover, said casting having a floor and two vertical walls rising therefrom and engaged with the bottom of the cover, one of said walls extending along the outermost edge ,of the casting concentric to the inner wall of the one of said walls being spaced from the other wall and forming a loop partially enclosing an internal portion of the floor, means connecting the nozzle with the portion of the cover partially enclosed by the reverse curve of the first named wall, a screened opening in the cover over the portion of the casting partially enclosed by the second named wall, and separate means for introducing air under pressure into the tank, the space between the two walls, and the space partially enclosed by the second named wall.

v WAYNE B. THOMPSON. 

